Mechanism for feeding pulps.



W. R. MACKLIND.

MECHANISM FOR FEEDING PULPS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-2.1913.

Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

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W. R. MACKLIND.

MECHANISM FOR FEEDING PULPS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2.1913.

3 SHEETSSHEE'I 2.

Patented Sept. 21, 191.

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MECHANISM FOR FEEDING PULPS.

APPLICATION FILED 00L 2. 1913.

1,154,190. Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

Wain asses WILLIAM R. MACKLIND, or CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR r0 enonon a. MARTIN, rnusrnn, or CLEVELAND, OHIO.

MECHANISM FOR FEEDING PULPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

Original application filed. August 10, 1912, Serial No. 714,323. Divided and this application filed October 2,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. MACK- LIND, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mechanism for Feeding Pulps, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

The improved feeding mechanism, which forms the subject matter of interest herein, is designed for feeding wet, sludgy materials which are known in commerce as pulps, both in mineral and vegetable products. Such feeding mechanism is more especially designed for use in a continuous drying machine of the kind illustrated in my copending application filed August 10, 1912, Serial No. 714,823, out of which the present case has been required to be divided. It will be understood, however, that such feeding mechanism is not necessarily limited in its field of usefulness to employment with the aforesaid drying machine, since the features of improvement characterizing the same may render it useful in various connections not only in different types of drying machines, but in connection with other kinds of machines as well. In handling pulps, such as those just referred. to, considerable difficulty is encountered in feeding the same onto a drying machine or the like, as the pulp must be constantly agitated, and then placed on drying means in a consistent form, or manner, or the drying will be unequal and hence unsatisfactory.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome the aforesaid and related diiiiculties and to this end, said invention consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the .invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of the various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings :Figure 1 is a vertical section of a portion of a general drying machine illustrating the manner in which my improved pulp feeding mechanism Serial No. 793,049.

may be incorporated therein; Fig. 2 is a side elevation and transverse vertical section of such-feeding mechanism; Fig. 3 is a more or less diagrammatic view illustrating the driving connections for operating such feeding apparatus; Fig. 4- is a plan view of said feeding apparatus; Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the foregoing taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 4, and showing certain operating levers in elevation; Fig. 6 is a side elevational View of one of said operating levers detached from the others, and showing the connection between the lever and the valve which it operates; and Fig. 7 is a more or less diagrammatic view illustrating one approved method of feeding the material to be treated to the feeding apparatus, proper, of the machine.

The general features of construction characterizing the drying machine shown in the foregoing drawings need be only briefly noted in the present connection. Such machine comprises as its principal element an annular, substantially horizontally disposed drying table A shown in transverse section in Fig. 1. This table is supported by means of a series of suitable supporting stands 1 upon the foundation 2 and is built up of a plurality of contiguous sections which are hollow so as to permit of steam being supplied thereto in order to heat the table. Pipes 6 and 7 are provided for respectively supplying steam to, and removing the water of condensation from, such hollow table sections, these pipes being radially disposed and connected at their inner ends to circular headers 8 and 9 respectively. In cooperative relation to said table are then provided' a feeding apparatus for depositing onto the table a layer or film of the material to be dried; an apparatus for removing the vapor or moisture arising from the drying of such deposited material; and an apparatus for removing from the table the dried material and discharging the same from the machine. Of the foregoing, the only apparatus of present interest, as previously indicated, is the feeding apparatus or mechanism which will now be described. Such feeding mechanism is in the main carried in proper cooperative relation to the annular table A by a rotatable frame (Fig. 1), although it will be understood that if found feasible, by reason of variation in size, or

for other reasons, to rotate the table instead of the supporting frame, this may be very well done so far as the principles of operation involved are concerned. The center of said rotatable frame is a cast iron spider 1O rotatably mounted on a central column 11 having a flanged top and a centering sleeve 12. A plurality of arms 16, fabricated of structural steel, extend radially from said spider 10 to beyond the outer edge or periphery of the annular drying table, such outer arm-ends being spaced from the surface of the table a suflicient distance to provide the necessary clearance for the parts suspended therefrom, as will be presently described. Two series of frame struts, an outer series 17 and an inner series 18, are bolted to said radial arms, the former to the extreme outer ends of the arms, and the latter at points substantially the same radial distance from the central axis of the machine as the inner edge of the annular table. It is not intended to support the entire weight of the rotatable frame from the central column 11 but, at least in a large machine such as the one illustrated, a circular track 19 is provided on the outer stands 1 of the annular table. Upon this track, rollers 20, mounted in brackets 21 extending downwardly from the outer ends of the respective radial arms 16, are adapted to run. The means for rotating the frame aboutits central axis form no part of the present invention and so are not illustrated.

The apparatus for feeding the material to be dried onto the drying table is supported from the inner and outer struts 17 and 18 that join two adjacent radial arms 16. The sludge, or equivalent pulpy material to be dried, is conducted to such feeding apparatus' from a central vertically arranged tubular column 33 that has an upper, flanged end and is laterally inclosed by a relatively stationary section 34 of a vapor drum which is not of present interest. The flanged end of the column 33 has bearing contact with the annular base of a support 35 for a connection or union 36, whereby an exteriorly supported supply pipe 37 (shown in Fig. 7), isjoined with a supply pipe 38 carried by said column and connected by means of an elbow at the lower end of the latter with a radially disposed pipe 39 that leads out to the feeding apparatus. The column 33 is supported in the fashion just described by means of a spider 40, the arms of which are attached at their outer ends to the lower section 41 of the aforesaid vapor drum, such vided with an inlet opening 44 on top for connection with the supply pipe and is provided on its bottom side with a plurality of outlets 45 (six as shown) separately controlled by means of valves 46. All of these valves are conveniently operable from an operators platform at the right (not shown) by means of connecting rods 47 thatlead from the valves to a bank of levers 48 at one end of the feeding apparatus adjacent to such platform (see Figs. 4,5 and 6), said connecting rods being formed with short racks 49 adapted tomesh-with pinions 50 on the stems of the valves. 7 It will be readily seen that by means of the aforesaid valves the rate of flow of the sludge from the tank onto the feeding table 43 can be nicely graduated so as to cause a layer or film of material of uniform thickness to be spread across the table. An agitator 51 within the tank serves to stir up the contents of the latter and maintain the mixture of uniform consistency, said agitator being operable by means of a hand wheel 52 at the outer end of its shaft 53. I

It will be understood that the supply tank 42 is not only kept full of material, but that such material is desirably maintainedunder a constant head so as to insure an unvarying rate of feed from the several valve controlled outlets with any given adjustment of said valves. Such constant head may be see cured by means of the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 7, which diagrammatically shows the supply tank just described,- together with the connecting pipes 38 and 39 carried by the rotatable frame. At a point removed from the machine, a pump 54 is connected with the exteriorly supported pipe 37 that is connected with the stufiing box or union 36, such pump discharging more directly into a stand-pipe 55 that connects the same with said pipe 37 and has an overflow 56 of predetermined elevation back into the tank 57 from which the supply of material for the pump is drawn. If, accordingly, the

pump be governed to supply an excess of material, that is more than will be withdrawn from the supply tank 42 carried by the drying machine, the sludge in such supply tank will be under a constant pressure determined by the elevation of the upper end of the overflow pipe 56.

The feeding table 43, that receives the material from the several outlets 45 of the supply tank consists, in effect, of an inclined plate having a longitudinally extending V- shaped depression or trough 58 in which the material is received from the aforesaid outlet pipes. The trough-like character of this depression is further heightened by a vertically disposed plate 59 that lies therein parallel with, but removed a trifle from, the front wall of saidrecess. The ends of the trough 58 are closed by transverse plates60.

The, plate 59 acts as a dam and the material received in the trough-like receptacle formed by said plate wells up between the front face of the latter and the front wall of the depression until it overflows the crest of such depression and then runs down over the lower edge of the inclined plate 43.

- The entire feeding table, or shaker board, as it may be called, is oscillatorily hung from the supporting frame of the machine by means of downwardly depending brackets 61 (see Fig. 2), to which theend plates and other intermediate plates 62, that are attached to the shaker board, are hinged. The excess of weight lies in front of the pivotal axis thus formed so as to normally retain the rear ends of the side plates 60 and intermediate plates 62 (which are extended for this purpose) in engagementwith cams .63 on a longitudinally disposed cam shaft 64. Such shaft is rotated by a suitable motor 65 disposed adjacent to the inner end of the feeding apparatus and belted to a pulley 66 on the shaft, as'shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Cams 68 will obviously serve to oscillate the table about its pivotal axis and incidentally jar the same, hardened plates 67 being provided on the cam-engaging ends of plates 60 and 62 to receive the Wear.

Along the lower edge of the shaker board finally, there is provided a series of equidistantly spaced teeth 68. Accordingly, while the material overflows from the trough in the form of a broad flat ribbonlike stream of uniform depth, the effect of these teeth is to break up this broad stream into a multitude of tiny streams that trickle the material onto the drying table in the form of drops. The object, in other words, is to supply these drops in such size and frequency and spaced relation as to just spread over the surface of the table and no more, since I have found that a layer deposited in this fashion dries much more readily than if deposited as a sheet or ribbon, each little drop of material drying out independently of the other.

In the general operation of the machine of which my improved drying apparatus has been above described as forming a part, such apparatus is caused to move at a predetermined rate of speed over the annular drying table A. Assuming that a suitable supply of material is being furnished the apparatus under a predetermined head by pump 54: (Fig. 7), and that such apparatus has been properly adjusted by means of the several levers 48 which control the valves 46, a thin film or layer of the sludgy or other material to be dried will be deposited on the surface of the drying table. This film will not be deposited strictly as a sheet, but will consist of a collection of tiny drops which, although they coalesce as they fall to the drying table, nevertheless preserve their 111" dividuality to dry separately, each forming a tiny crater whereby the prompt and thorough drying of the deposited layer as a whole is insured. Where the pulpy material is thus deposited a very much more rapid and efficient drying action is obtained; even the more refractory of such materials yield up their content of water completely, all conditions being arranged to hasten evaporation as far as possible.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. In drying mechanism, the combination of an annular drying table; feeding means movable in a circular path over said table and adapted to deposit thereon a layer. of the material to be dried; and connections leading from the central axis of said table to said means adapted to supply such material under pressure to the latter.

2. In drying mechanism, the combination of an annular drying table; feeding means movable in a circular path over said table and adapted to deposit thereon a layer of the material to be dried; and means for supplying such material to said feeding means under a substantially constant pressure of considerable amount.

3. In drying mechanism, the combination of an annular drying table; feeding means movable in a circular path over said table and adapted to deposit thereon a layer of the material to be dried; connections leading from the central axis of said table to said feeding means; and means adapted to supply such material to said connections under a substantially constant pressure of considerable amount.

4. In drying mechanism, the combination of an annular drying table; feeding means movable in a circular path over said table and adapted to deposit thereon a layer of the material to be dried; connections leading from the central axis of said table to said feeding means; and means adapted to supply such material to said connections under a substantially constant head, said lastnamed means including a stand-pipe having an over-flow of predetermined elevation, and a pump for forcing the material into said stand-pipe.

5. In mechanism of the class described. the combination of an annular drying table; feeding means movable in a circular path over said table and adapted to deposit thereon a layer of the material to be dried; connections leading from the central axis of said table to said feeding means; and means adapted to supply such material to said connections under a substantially constant head, said last-named means including a supplytank, a stand-pipe having an over-flow of predetermined elevation leading back to said tank, and a pump for forcing the material from said tank into said stand-pipe.

6. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a drying table and feeding means adapted to deposit thereon a layer of the material to be dried; of means adapted to supply such material to said feeding-means under a substantially constant pressure of considerable amount.

'1 In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a drying table and feeding means adapted to deposit thereon a layer of the material to be dried; of means adapted to supply such material to said feeding-means under a substantially constant head, said last-named means including a stand-pipe connected with said feedingmeans and having an over-flow of predetermined elevation, and a pump for forcing the material into said stand-pipe.

8. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a drying table and feeding means adapted to deposit thereon a layer of the material to be dried; of means adapted to supply such material to said feeding-means under a substantially constant head, said lastnamed means including a stand-pipe connected with said feeding-means and having an overflow of predetermined elevation leading back to said tank, and a pump for forcing the material from said tank into said stand-pipe.

9. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a drying table; of relatively movable means for feeding thereon a layer of the material to be dried, said means I including an inclined plate oscillatory about an axis parallel with said table and provided with a similarly-extendmg trough spaced from its lower edge, means adapted to supply material to said trough, and means adapted to oscillate said table to jar the same.

10. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with an annular drying table; of means for feeding thereon a layer of the material to be dried, said means includingan inclined plate extending in a radial direction across said table and movable circularly with the center of said table as an axis, and means adapted to supply material to said plate.

11. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with an annular drying table; of means for feeding thereon a layer of the material to be dried, said means including aninclined plate extending in a radial direction across said table and movable circularly with the center of said table plate to move therewith and having a plu-v rality of discharge openings alined with said plate, and means for independently controlling said discharge openings, 7

13. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with an annular. drying table; of means for feeding thereon a layer of the material to be dried, said means including an inclined plate extending in a radial direction across said table and movable circularly with the center of said table as an axis, a trough spaced from the lower edge of said plate and adapted to overflow onto the latter, and a tank supported above said plate to move therewith and having a plurality of discharge openings alined with the latter.

14. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with an annular drying table; of means for feeding thereon a layer of the material to be dried, said means including an inclined plate extending in a radial direction across said table and movable circularly with the center of said table as an axis, a trough spaced from'the lower edge of said plate and adapted .to overflow onto the latter, a tank supported above said plate and having a plurality of discharge openings alined with the latter, and means adapted to oscillate said plate aboutits longitudinal axis to jar the same.

15. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with an annular I drying table; of means for feeding thereon a layer of the material to be dried, said means including an inclined plate extending in a radial direction across said table and movable circularly with the' center of said table as an axis, a tank supported above said plate to move therewith and having a plurality of discharge openings alined with said plate, and connections leading from the central axis of said table to said tank. r 16. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with an annular drying table; of meansfor feeding thereon a layer of the material to be dried, said means including an inclined plate extending in a radial direction across said table and movable circularly with the center of said table as an axis, a tank supported above said plate to move therewith and having aplurality of discharge openings alined with said plate, from said table, and mounted above the same 10 connections leading from the central axis of and adapted to control said feeding means. said table to said tank, and means removed Signed by me, this 29th day of September, from said table, adapted to control said coni913. nections. WILLIAM R. MACKLIND.

17. In mechanism of the class described, the combination With an annular drying Attested by table; feeding means movable in a circular OLIVER Box, path over said table, and means removed JONATHAN E. INGERSOLL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

